Through the years, certain Hollywood actresses have eschewed glamour for a more masculine look

Two of this year's Oscar nominees are being honored for playing women cross-dressing as men. In Albert Nobbs, Glenn Close (in the running for Best Actress) and Janet McTeer (Best Supporting Actress) embody the characters of Albert Nobbs and Hubert Page—females who take on male personas in order to work and survive in nineteenth-century Ireland.

Of the on-screen transformations, Close's is arguably the most remarkable. To craft her look for the titular role, special-effects makeup artist Matthew W. Mungle—whose work in Albert Nobbs is also nominated for an Oscar—employed custom-made dental plumpers to give Close a more square, masculine jaw. He also applied a fake nose with a larger tip and nostrils and elongated Close's ears with gelatin earlobes. "By using these very subtle prosthetics, her appearance looked natural," says Mungle. As "subtle" as Mungle's work may be, however, it had a powerful effect on Close. "She was delighted and shed a tear when she saw the final result," he says.

Click through to see photos of other actresses who have gone the guy route.

Androgynous Women in Movies

Androgynous Women in Movies

Is it a young Frank Sinatra? No, it's Katharine Hepburn in 1935's Sylvia Scarlett. In the film, Hepburn goes from Sylvia to "Sylvester" as a way to disguise herself and elude detection (she and her father are on the run after being charged with embezzlement).